Don’t sleep on identity: Longitudinal associations between identity and sleep quality in adolescents with different cultural backgrounds

Abstract

Identity processes are intertwined with adolescents’ well-being; thus, it is likely that they are also reciprocally linked to their sleep quality. This longitudinal study—conducted in Italy—aimed to unravel how identity processes (i.e. commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment) in two domains (i.e. educational and interpersonal) were associated with sleep quality both subjectively (i.e. sleep/wake cycle problems) and objectively (i.e. sleep duration and efficiency) measured in 1396 adolescents (Mage = 15.73, SDage = 1.23, 49.93% females) with different cultural backgrounds. Results revealed that commitment and in-depth exploration play a role in enhancing sleep quality, unlike reconsideration of commitment. Multigroup analyses showed a negative effect of reconsideration of commitment in the educational domain that was particularly strong for adolescents with a migrant background. These findings have important practical implications, informing interventions and clinical practice aimed at improving adolescents’ sleep quality and fostering their identity formation.